Shang(up)hai: A Little Fist To The Face

giallo · #1 Posted: **May 17, 2012, 6:22 AM**

Hey SSPers. This isn't a full length thread or anything. I just wanted to share a dozen or so pictures that I took an hour ago.

As some of you may know, I work as a photographer in Shanghai. A couple of my clients are big in the development scene, so I sometimes get special access to buildings that are under construction. Today I went up to the rooftop of the nearly completed Shangri-La hotel in the Jing An District (opening December 2012). The weather was sunny, but still suffered from some decent smog (especially when looking in to the sun), so the photos aren't super clear, but hey, when you have an opportunity to go up one of the tallest buildings in the city before anyone else, you take pictures.

Enjoy these rare angles.

Looking over the Former French Concession. My apartment is in the white building center-right.

Looking over the eastern section of the Jing An District. The buildings all smashed together in the middle of the photo run along Nanjing Rd. - one of Shanghai's busiest corridors.

Looking eye to eye with Wheelock Square. Changning District is in the background.

The Yan An Expressway winds through Jing An heading towards Gubei.

Looking towards northern Jing An which is primarily residential.

Park Place and Wheelock Square border Jing An Park.

Pulled back. You can see Jing An Temple center-right.

A whole bunch of buildings.

Some more Jing An residential with a few office buildings spread throughout.

The Yan An Expressway is a defining feature of Jing An. The city has tried really hard to make it less dominating by adding trees on and around it. It helps, but the thing is just too massive to ignore.

Amazing views from up here. Just breath-taking.

1977 · #2 Posted: **May 17, 2012, 7:38 AM**

Awesome! That last picture is mind blowing.

Danny · #3 Posted: **May 17, 2012, 8:31 AM**

Fantastic photos! Thanks for sharing, giallo!

I love the density of Shanghai, it´s amazing. You´re very privileged living there and enjoying those fabulous views when you can go up to any rooftop. Your pictures are billiant!

Congrats and greetings from Madrid, Spain!

musicmix96 · #4 Posted: **May 17, 2012, 2:01 PM**

Great photos!

Wolkenkratzerliebhab · #5 Posted: **May 17, 2012, 2:54 PM**

Wow! And I thought New York was impressive! This is amazingly, amazing!

diskojoe · #6 Posted: **May 17, 2012, 3:16 PM**

Damn I thought you were in a helicopter when I saw this on Flickr. Great views. The haze is actually kind of cool on the bw versions. The color versions always look icky in Shanghai when the smog is out.

Nineties Flava · #7 Posted: **May 17, 2012, 3:37 PM**

Great photos, I didn't realize Shanghai was that dense.

i_am_hydrogen · #8 Posted: **May 17, 2012, 5:24 PM**

Thanks for sharing these amazing shots. The density is epic.

MolsonExport · #9 Posted: **May 17, 2012, 6:14 PM**

Completely amazing. I did not know you went to Coruscant.

Quote:

Never-ending skyscrapers.

arkitekte · #10 Posted: **May 17, 2012, 11:28 PM**

All of those highrises and the density is mind blowing...doesn't even look real. Thanks for posting these!

plinko · #11 Posted: **May 18, 2012, 3:35 AM**

Thanks for the ride my friend...always appreciated!

Nanjing Road is what I wish Wilshire Blvd in LA looked like.

ColDayMan · #12 Posted: **May 18, 2012, 3:49 AM**

That Shanghai tower is going up fast!

Lipani · #13 Posted: **May 18, 2012, 4:27 AM**

So much to envy in Shanghai... Thanks for the awesome pics!

The Chemist · #14 Posted: **May 18, 2012, 5:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nineties Flava

Great photos, I didn't realize Shanghai was that dense.

Central Shanghai is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Great pictures, Giallo. Very envious.

fern · #15 Posted: **May 18, 2012, 12:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Chemist

Central Shanghai is one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

But also one of the fastest-ageing places on Earth. Terrific photos

giovanni sasso · #16 Posted: **May 18, 2012, 3:40 PM**

sick, slick, doin' the trick. you be whippin' that glass out all over shanghai. we're all better for it. wanted to comment on the expressway shots, but then you hit us with the ending, so never mind.

KillerIman · #17 Posted: **May 18, 2012, 9:47 PM**

hell yeah! now that's what i call a skyline

montrealman · #18 Posted: **May 19, 2012, 6:02 PM**

Amazing photos. One thing does stick out to me, though: these are the first pictures I've seen of a mainland skyline in quite a few years where there is barely a construction crane in sight. Sort of strange to be honest (when I lived i China in the early to mid 2000s, I feel like half the buildings in your photos where under construction all at the same time!).

R@ptor · #19 Posted: **May 19, 2012, 11:46 PM**

Great photos.

Jing An could really use a public observation deck so that everybody would be able to enjoy those views.

hkskyline · #20 Posted: **May 21, 2012, 1:08 PM**

... and I thought the view from Tomorrow Square was already awesome. I need to pay a visit to this hotel once it opens!